Latest KFF Health News Stories
Study: Big Employers Could Dump Sickest Employees On To Exchanges
A loophole in the health law could allow employers to game the system by dumping their sicker employees onto health insurance exchanges.
Q&A: Is It Legal For Insurers To Deny Coverage Because Of A Pregnancy?
KHN’s “Insuring Your Health” columnist Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about whether or not insurers are required to cover maternity care on the individual market.
Both Patients And Physicians Can Suffer When Test Results Aren’t Reported
The push for better coordination of patient care, including the adoption of electronic medical records, should help improve the delivery of test results to patients from doctors and to doctors from those who perform the tests.
Q&A: My Daughter Is No Longer A Full-Time Student, Is She Still Covered?
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a mother about a provision in the health law about extending coverage to children under the age of 26.
Despite Deep Opposition To Health Law, Ga. Contemplates Exchange
Georgia is not alone. A number of Republican states, including some in the South, are hedging their bets and planning health insurance marketplaces to avoid a version designed by Washington.
What To Remember During Health Insurance Open Enrollment Season
Our “Insuring Your Health” columnist Michelle Andrews has advice on how to pick a plan for next year, including: Don’t assume your plan will be the same next year.
South Carolina’s Waiting Game On Health Insurance Exchange
The state is likely to decide against creating its own exchange, opting instead to let the federal government build the marketplace, one of the central features of the health law.
Analysis: Keys To The Supreme Court’s Health Law Review
In this analysis, Stuart Taylor writes that the case is “especially momentous” because it will determine the future of the health law — President Barack Obama’s signature legislative achievement. The ruling also will likely occur during the midst of the 2012 presidential election season.
FAQ On HSAs: The Basics Of Health Savings Accounts
Health Savings Accounts are increasingly among the options that consumers can consider when making their health insurance choices. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages they offer.
The Accidental (Medical) Tourist
Michelle Andrews shares with Jackie Judd about the health care system ordeal she went through after a bike accident in Canada landed her in the hospital there and about the follow-up care she got in the U.S.
Minnesota GOP Wrestles With Health Exchange Questions
The state could end up with an exchange run by the federal government, and some lawmakers think that’s a risk worth taking.
In Kansas, Republicans Can’t Agree On Insurance Exchanges
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback sent back a $31.5 million federal grant and Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger worries it’s not sound policy.
$6.8 Billion Spent Yearly On 12 Unnecessary Tests And Treatments
The conclusion comes from a study that looked at procedures and prescriptions ordered by primary care doctors frequently.
Big Insurer Fights Back In Court Against Regulation Of Profit Margin
The case brought by Anthem Health Plans of Maine could have regulatory repercussions around the country.
Premiums, Deductibles And Cost Sharing In Employer Health Plans Keep Rising
As they shoulder more health care expenses, workers in some plans can reduce their costs by participating in company wellness programs.
HHS Releases Final Regulations For ACOs
KHN staff writers Jenny Gold and Phil Galewitz report on the new rule, which will make it easier for health care providers to participate in the new models of delivering health care.
The CLASS Act has been vilified by Republicans and defended by Democrats. Here’s a small sample of some of those comments.
Viewpoint: CLASS Long-Term Care Insurance Is Dead, But What Comes Next?
Howard Gleckman writes that, with the demise of the CLASS Act, it is critical to act quickly and develop a consensus plan to address the nation’s long-term care problem.
CLASS Dismissed: Obama Administration Pulls Plug On Long-Term Care Program
KHN staff writers Julie Appleby and Mary Agnes Carey report that federal officials have effectively shut down part of the health care law aimed to help consumers pay for long-term care.
Tips To Cope With Health Benefits ‘Open Season’ Decisions
While insurance companies are required to accept all applicants of any employer, no matter what pre-existing health conditions are present, there may be some sticker shock on what your premium will be in January.
